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Seven up for Arsenal on tour

Date published: Monday 24th August 2015 1:16

In front of a huge 88,000 crowd at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, Arsene Wenger watched his side take a 19th-minute lead through Theo Walcott.
Then, in a second half which saw a raft of substitutions, the Gunners hit six further goals. Striker Chuba Akpom doubled the lead, before the more experienced Olivier Giroud (two) and Lukas Podolski got in on the act. Finally, two more youngsters – Kris Olsson and Thomas Eisfeld – rounded off the evening’s entertainment.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain set up Arsenal’s opener, striding into the area on the right-hand side before laying the ball back to Walcott to arrive and score with confidence.
Aaron Ramsey was one of the visitors’ best performers – one pirouette in the Indonesia area dazzled the crowd – while Serge Gnabry also caught the eye.
And it was the latter who crossed low from the left for Akpom to coolly slot home the second goal from eight yards out on 54 minutes.
Bacary Sagna and Giroud came off the bench and within minutes, the Frenchmen had combined for goals three and four. Both came from the defender’s right-wing crosses, and the turn-and-shot from Giroud for his second was particularly well executed.
Tomas Rosicky then claimed two assists, teeing up Podolski to strike home from 20 yards out and then crossing deep from the left to allow Olsson to slide home the sixth goal at the far post.
Eisfeld wrapped up the scoring when he latched onto Giroud’s nod-down and lashed a left-footed shot in off the crossbar.
Arsenal now move on Hanoi to face Vietnam in their next friendly on Wednesday.